La faneuse d'amour

Born into modest beginnings in the low‑lying polders of Boom, Clara’s mother rises from an orphaned factory worker to a lady’s companion, while Nikkel Mortsel, a sturdy brick‑maker, courts the spirited Rikka with a mix of teasing and tender gestures. Their passionate dance at a village fair culminates in a secret tryst among the silent kilns, setting the stage for a marriage that promises both stability and lingering longing.

Clara grows up under the delicate weight of her noble title, inheriting a keen sensitivity to colour, scent, and sound that sets her apart from other children. The restless river Rupel becomes her sanctuary, its oily waters and muddy banks offering a tactile world where she feels most at home. She is drawn to the rugged blues of the boatmen’s garments and recoils from the polished prettiness of gardens, hinting at an inner life as complex as the landscape that raised her.